Moving Melodies
by The Lost Pages
Summary: After rescuing Mario from the clutches of King Boo, Luigi decides to build his own Mansion with the money he gathered during his quest. For his housewarming party, he is looking for some unique entertainment.


Moving Melodies

Several weeks have passed since Luigi freed Mario from King Boo and his minions.

Luigi decided to travel back to the place where the haunted mansion used to be in order to witness the completion of his very own mansion, which he decided to build with all the money he collected during his quest. When he was almost there, he saw the entrance to Elvin Gadd's laboratory, and decided to give the professor a visit. After taking the long descent to the lab's main room, he was joyfully greeted by Professor E. Gadd.

¨Luigi! Long time no see! How are things going, my boy? You haven't seen any ghosts lately, have you?¨ ¨Hehe, no I'm glad I haven't. Your Poltergust 3000 sure did the job.¨ ¨Haha, I knew it would! But it couldn't have caught even one ghost without a courageous master-vacuumer to handle it.¨ ¨Thanks, Professor.¨ ¨By the way, how is Mario doing? Is he fine?¨ ¨Yes, he was so proud of me for saving him while I had to face my worst fears, that he kept talking about it for hours.¨ ¨Nice to hear that. I'd like to have a chat with Mario. He is always welcome here, and so are you.¨ ¨Well, then you might want to go to my housewarming party. Today, my mansion will be completed, and the party will be held next tuesday. Mario will be there too.¨ ¨Nice to hear, but I have a small problem. Well, technically not an actual problem, but I just don't know of any presents to give you.¨ ¨That's no big deal, professor. After all, my mansion is my biggest present.¨

¨Hey, sonny, what about a nice, hot cup of tea? Shall I make one for you?¨ ¨If you want to. I can always appreciate a warm cup of tea after having to walk trough that chilly forest.¨ While the Professor was pouring water in the tea kettle, Luigi looked around, distracted by the machinery and bookcases in the Lab. Luigi's eye was caught by a door between two piles of books. The door that leads to the Portrificationizer Chamber, he remembered. ¨Professor, would you mind if I explore the lab a bit? ¨ ¨Not at all, sonny. I have nothing to hide, so look at whatever you want. But please don't touch anything, okay?¨

Luigi entered the Portrificationizer Chamber and looked at the Ghost Portrificationizer: the machine that Professor E. Gadd dedicated so much of his time on. He perfectly remembered how the ghosts were made into paintings: first he had to put his Poltergust 3000 into a large rectangular slot. Then, the ghosts were spun around in a large centrifuge that looked somewhat like a large kettle. After that, they were put on a platform and made visible by electric sparks.

¨I feel a bit sorry for Mario. Being deportrificationised must hurt quite a lot,¨ Luigi thought to himself. After he was done looking at E. Gadd's impressive creation, Luigi went further and entered the Gallery, where all of the ghostly paintings were hung. As he walked in, Luigi saw the giant angel statues. Wait… did one of them just… flap its wings? ¨No that's impossible. I didn't even come close to it. It's just my imagination,¨ Luigi told to himself. Either way, these angel statues still creeped him out. As he wanted to walk into the left corridor, he saw a picture of a house hanging on the wall: it was that of how Luigi wanted his new mansion to look like. And indeed, the architect has been very faithful to the picture. It was an almost exact copy, but the finishing touches that were just completed today made it look ever better than on the picture.

As Luigi walked into the corridor he got a strange feeling that he couldn't quite describe: a feeling of sadness and melancholy. It was almost as if the pictures all felt sad inside, but to Luigi the sight of a row of paintings of captured ghost was more of a feeling of gratification. Neville, the first portrait ghost he encountered, made Luigi think about how inexperienced he was at first, having to read a book in the bookcase to discover he could be captured. Luigi moved on to the next painting, that of Nana, the scarf knitting granny.

He then came across a ghost that he remembered very well, maybe the best of any ghost he encountered: Madame Clairvoya. She was unlike many other ghosts: kind, willing to help Luigi, and - very remarkably - the only ghost that voluntary wanted to be turned into a painting again. After looking at some more paintings, including one of the dreaded Bogmire, Luigi came across one of the doors leading to a special separate room of the gallery: the room that was reserved for the picture of King Boo. Luigi quivered for a brief moment. He was about to face the worst enemy he ever had to deal with, except for maybe Bowser and the Koopalings. He opened the door and looked around.

The interior of the room reminded him of the Hidden Room: full of gold and luxury. But that didn't change the fact that this was the room where King Boo was located, albeit held captive in the form of a painting. As Luigi slowly walked towards the artwork, he became more and more unnerved with each step. When he was standing right before it, he looked at the painting with both awe and fear. He had seen Boos on many occasions, mostly in the ghost houses he came across when going on adventure with Mario. But this Boo was radically different from any Boo he had seen before, and not only because of the Bowser suit it wore. This King Boo was much, much more vile and evil than the Boos in the ghost houses and castles. And to make matters worse, this Boo did not cover his face when looked at! Luigi was proud of himself when he realised that he managed to defeat the leader of the Boos, all by himself. But, as he said to the Professor, he couldn't have done it without his help.

Luigi left the room through the same door as he entered the room, and continued his walk through the gallery. He came across the bodybuilder Biff Atlas.¨How can a ghost have such muscles without having any flesh and bones?,¨ Luigi wondered. Jarvis, the jar collector, remembered Luigi on how annoying some ghosts could be. The next portrait, that of butler Shivers, was one that made Luigi wonder: do ghosts think different about age than living people do? According to the Game Boy Horror, this ghost Shivers had fallen in love with another, much younger ghost, that one lady in the music room. But however they think about such things, Luigi couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the ghost not getting any attention from his love interest.

After looking for a while, Luigi went on to the next artwork: Chauncey, the spoiled baby. Luigi remembered him quite well. And he also remembered how scared he was when this innocent-looking baby ghost made his shrink to a size that made a baby look like a giant monster. His father sure was right about what he wrote about his youngest son: he was _very_

good at being scary. But when you are born a ghost, scaring people out of their wits wouldn't be that hard.

Luigi took a turn around the wall to explore the gallery further. The first painting there was that of the lady of the music room. Melody Pianissima was her name, if he remembered correctly. Luigi actually heard about Melody a long time ago. She was called ¨the beautiful pianist¨ by some and was rumoured to be fairly rich as well. Looking at the painting, Luigi could not deny that she was indeed good-looking. But he also felt sorry for her. She died in the prime of her life, something that scared Luigi a bit since he was of roughly the same age as her. Should he be worried now?

As Luigi kept looking at the painting, he began to realise something. Many of the ghosts he met during his adventure weren't bad at all. On the contrary, most of them were just like normal, living people, although they seemed to be a bit annoyed by Luigi's human presence.

¨Ah, there you are!¨ Luigi was so deep in thought that he didn't realise that the Professor stood behind him. ¨Appreciating your catch, I see. Hey sonny, your tea is getting cold. When you said you wanted to do a quick round through the lab, I didn't expect it would take you twenty minutes!¨ The professor laughed a bit, but then he saw the expression on Luigi's face.

¨Hey Luigi, what's the matter? Why the sad face?¨ ¨Professor, when I was looking at these pictures, I got a bit of a realisation.¨ ¨Lemme guess, you realised that you caught more ghosts than necessary to guarantee Mario's freedom?¨ ¨No, it's more that… I feel a bit sorry for having to catch these ghosts, you know.¨ The Professor got a bit confused. ¨What do you mean? Without you catching those ghosts, Mario would still be in King Boo's clutches. You did what you had to do.¨ ¨I know, but I still can't help but feel sorry for those ghosts. I've read their stories on the Game Boy Horror, and the more I read, the more I started to sympathise with them. They might not be alive, but many of them are like humans of flesh and blood, and have feelings, just like us. And many of them don't like it when they are locked up in a painting. They would be better off someplace where they can be their usual selves.¨

¨Hmm, you know what, Luigi? I think you're right. Ghosts deserve to have freedom too.¨

E. Gadd picked the painting of Melody of the wall and took it to the Portificationiser Chamber. Luigi curiously followed him. ¨Mario could be deportrificationised with relative ease, but I think the machine will have much less trouble with ghosts, since they are already made of ectoplasm, rather than physical matter. I'd like to give it a try!¨

The Professor laid the picture on the plate at the end of the machine. After being decompressed, lasered, pounded for some reason and whatnot, Luigi and the Professor were able to see Melody's body, albeit still as flat as a pancake. The machine then went into turbo mode, violently stirring its contents into a more three-dimensional shape that gradually looked more and more like a real person's - or in this case, a ghost's - body. The ghost was then pushed through the pipe that normally acted as the machine's inlet. The Professor took a few steps back from the entrance slot, but didn't keep his eyes off it. Luigi was equally curious what would happen next. As the plumber and the professor watched the slot, they could see that, for a brief moment, a ghostly glow came from inside the box.

Not even a second later Melody popped out of the machine's slot. The few steps back proved to be unnecessary, as the ghost gently made her way out, a bit like a soap bubble, one could say. The Professor sighed from relief, while Luigi could only watch in amazement. At first, Melody was confused by everything around her, but when she saw Luigi, she became very angry.

¨YOU! You was the one who captured me! Why did you had to sink _that_ low, capturing ghosts just for the sake of it! Did you have fun with your lousy vacuum cleaner? Well, I didn't!¨ Luigi was scared by Melody's violent reaction. This was not at all what he expected. ¨But Melod-¨ ¨I thought you were better, Luigi. But it seems that all you are is just another fallen hero.¨ ¨But Melody, please listen.¨ ¨ _What_ ,¨ Melody said in a very annoyed manner. ¨I had to do this, for Mario. He was captured by King Boo, and I, being his brother, had to save him.¨

¨Wait, what? King Boo captured Mario? And you saved him? Oh Luigi, why didn't you just say that already? You are my hero! I'm so proud of you!¨ Melody was visibly relieved when she heard that Mario is safe and sound. ¨But I still have question: If you had to capture us in order to save Mario, why did you decide to set me free? Not that I don't like it, though.¨

¨Because Luigi felt sorry for you, and wanted you to enjoy freedom as well,¨ the Professor said before Luigi came to answer. ¨And to be honest, so do I.¨ ¨So, you are going to grant all of us freedom? I'm so glad that you wanted to do this for us, but you don't release King Boo, do you,¨ Melody asked with a worried voice. ¨Haha, don't you worry. King Boo will stay where he is, trapped in a picture along with his Bowser suit.¨ ¨And we won't release Bogmire and Boolossus either.¨ ¨Now if you don't mind, I'm going to fetch the other paintings.¨ While the Professor was in the Gallery, Luigi and Melody talked about Luigi's adventure.

¨We ghosts hate King Boo as much as you do, and his Boos aren't any better. The Boos who are loyal to King Boo are much worse than your average Ghost House Boo. But you probably already know that, right?¨ Either way, I'm so glad that King Boo got the punishment he deserved, and more importantly, that Mario is save.¨

¨Hey, youngster, give this old Professor a little bit of help, would you?¨ Luigi gave the Professor some assistance. He picked the paintings from the wall and laid them on the floor of the Portrificationiser Chamber, where Melody was looking at the paintings, thinking about her family members. The last painting Luigi picked off the wall was that of Madame Clairvoya. He remembered how badly she wanted to be in a painting, though he couldn't see any reason why a ghost would willingly remain trapped in a painting. Anyway, Luigi came to the conclusion that the well-being of the ghosts is more important to him than their freedom, and decided to leave the painting on the wall so Madame Clairvoya could enjoy the rest she so desperately wanted to have.

Once all the other paintings were brought to the Portrificationiser Chamber, the professor was eager to deportrificationise the first painting. But when he picked the painting - that of Vincent van Gore - he thought about how they should bring the ghosts back to the mansion:

the true ghost mansion that Melody and her family used to live in before they died. From his travels, the Professor knew the approximate location, but he was thinking how the ghosts could be brought back to where they belong. Luigi has never been in this true mansion, and he couldn't simply release the ghosts from his lab either. And besides that, it would get pretty crowded with all those ghosts floating around in his lab.

But then he remembered something: When Melody came out of the Portrificationiser, she was confused and didn't move for a brief moment. ¨Luigi?¨ ¨Yes, Professor?¨ ¨Before I am going to release the ghosts, I want you to do a little something for me.¨ ¨What, Professor?¨ But when Luigi finished his question, the Professor was heading towards the Training Room. When he came back moments later, he had a very familiar device on his back: The

Poltergust 3000.

¨Look, sonny. We can't just release all the ghosts into my lab. We have to suck them up with my Poltergust 3000 one more time. Here, put this thing on your back while I put the painting in the machine. Here we go.¨ While the machine was operating the Professor told Luigi what to do: ¨When the ghost comes out of the machine, he will be confused for a moment. Use the Poltergust to catch the ghost, just like you used to do in the mansion. Quick, here he comes!¨

As soon as van Gore popped out of the machine, Luigi got his chance and revved up his Poltergust to maximum power. It was still a bit of a struggle, but Luigi had visibly gotten better in catching ghosts. ¨Good job! That's exactly how it should be done, my boy.¨ The Professor was really enthusiastic about how his plan worked. Melody, on the other hand, just floated in the corner and watched in silence.

After vacuuming seven ghosts, Luigi noticed that the Poltergust was becoming full. ¨I think it's time to release the first ghosts, Professor.¨ ¨Okay, but we should bring them to the mansion first.¨ The Professor went to the main room of the lab, Luigi curiously following him, to pick a book from the shelve. ¨Let's see… page 225, 226, 227… Ah, there it is.¨ Between the pages there was a folded piece of yellowed paper that looked quite old. ¨Here, my boy. This is a map that shows you the way to the true mansion. I'd like to go with you, but I still have so work to do.¨

When Luigi and the Professor entered the Portrificationiser Chamber to pick up the Poltergust 3000, Melody, having overheard Luigi and the Professor talking about the map, politely asked if she could accompany Luigi, who happily approved with the proposal. ¨That's nice of you, erm..¨ ¨Melody Pianissima, sir.¨ ¨Ah, yes, I remember you now,¨ the Professor reacted. ¨You were the pretty pianist, right?¨ Melody looked slightly disgruntled and didn't answer.

¨Anyway, I think you need to go now. It's getting pretty dark outside, and I don't think Luigi likes walking through Boo Woods in pitch-dark after all that happened.¨ ¨Oh, one more thing: you can release the contents of the Poltergust 3000 by simply pressing the release button on the bottom of the device.¨ ¨Got it, Professor.¨

And so, Luigi walked through the forest with Melody floating next to him. His flashlight and Melody's dim glow provided just enough light to see the trail. ¨According to the map, we need to go this way,¨ Luigi said when they arrived at a branching. ¨The map is right, I have the feeling we need to go in that direction too.¨ ¨wait, you can actually _feel_ in what direction we need to go?¨ ¨I don't know, I just feel we have to follow this way.¨ And indeed, after some ten more minutes through the eerie, foggy forest they saw the gloomy silhouette of a large, old mansion. It looked like an almost exact copy of the mansion King Boo built to fool Mario and Luigi. But of course it was the other way around: this was the true mansion, and although it was almost indistinguishable from the fake one, it felt quite different. Unlike the fake mansion, this true mansion had a feeling of calmth and rest, instead of dread and fear.

As Luigi opened the door he saw that its interior was the same as well, though clearly much tidier and warmer. He saw that Melody was also pleased by the welcoming atmosphere of the mansion. ¨It's so good to be back home. I can't wait to see my family again,¨ Melody said to herself while she was looking around. ¨Are you going to release them, Luigi? Because to be honest, I can barely wait, and I guess they're thinking the same. ¨Yes, I am. But I don't know how they will react to my presence. Will they be angry?¨ ¨I don't know. I mean, I have to admit that I was very angry at you when you freed me. But not anymore, since you explained the reason to me.¨ ¨I think it's the best that I just tell them what happened. They can't stay angry after having heard my story, can they?¨

¨You know, Luigi? I really appreciate what you have done for us, but I think it's better that I explain it to them. Most ghosts don't like humans in their presence, especially not after having been locked up in a painting by one of them. I reacted fairly calm, but I don't know if I can say the same for the others…¨ ¨So, you will do this for me? ¨Yes, I will. Thrust me. I am your friend now.¨

Those last words… ¨your friend.¨ Luigi didn't know what to think of this. It appeared that he had just befriended a ghost. Not that this was a bad thing, but he just couldn't quite believe that he would ever have a ghost as a friend. Apparently, some ghost aren't bothered by human presence at all. ¨That's ehm… nice of you.¨ ¨Thanks. By the way, I think it's better for you to go back to the lab after emptying your Poltergust.¨ ¨You're right. I was thinking the same.¨

¨Okay, let's go on with this...¨ Luigi pressed the release button, and one by one, the ghosts left the Poltergust's nozzle in the same way as they came out of the Portrificationiser, but considerably quicker. When all seven ghosts were released, Luigi returned to the lab as promised, leaving Melody and the other ghosts behind. ¨Will Melody keep her promise?¨ Luigi thought to himself. ¨Don't be ridiculous, of course she will. She even said that we were friends now.¨

When he was back at the lab, Luigi saw the Professor experimenting with one of his machines. ¨Hey sonny, that was quick! Did it go well?¨ ¨I think so, Professor.¨ ¨You think so? Do you mean you don't know for sure?¨ ¨Well, releasing the ghosts from your Poltergust wasn't that hard. But I don't know if the ghosts are doing well. We will have to wait to know.¨ ¨Don't you worry too much, I think they need time to get used to their new living.¨

¨Hey, where is Melody?¨ ¨She promised me to stay in the mansion, to tell the ghosts about everything that happened. In that way, they won't get angry.¨ ¨That's good.¨ ¨Let's turn the other paintings back into their true form, shall we?¨ Luigi helped the Professor with placing the first painting of the stack onto the plate at the end of the Portrificationiser. When the ghost came out of the machine, he was paralysed, just like Melody and the other ghosts he vacuumed earlier. After some five minutes, the Poltergust was full again and Luigi began on his walk to the mansion.

As he arrived and opened the door, he saw that Melody was still in the Foyer, but the other ghosts were not to be seen. ¨Hello, Melody. Did you explain everything to your family?¨ ¨Of course I did. That was the promise right?¨ Luigi was relieved that Melody had kept her promise, but at the same time he felt a bit stupid that he actually doubted whether Melody would keep her promise.

¨But where are they? Have they returned to their usual places?¨

¨Yes, indeed. After explaining the whole thing to them, most of them returned to where they prefer to be: Vincent returned to the Artist's Studio, but I emphatically told him not to make any more paintings that may spawn ghosts. That chilly guy Sir Weston went straight to the Cold Storage when I was barely finished talking, and the others also quickly returned to where they belong. I think they are just glad to be back home, in their _true_ home. I know I am...¨

¨If they are so glad to be back home, then I'd better hurry up with releasing these ghosts,¨ Luigi joked. He did the exact same thing as before: pressing the release button, waiting until all ghosts were released and entrust them to his new ghost friend, Melody. He then went back to E. Gadd's lab to pick up the remaining ghosts and bring them home, finally re-uniting Melody's family.

Two days later.

Luigi paid a visit to E. Gadd's laboratory once again. This time however, he had an important message for the Professor. As Luigi was almost downstairs, he could see the surprise on the Professor's face. ¨Hey sonny! You here again? Not that I mind, though.¨ ¨Yes, I'm here because I have an important message for you. My housewarming party I've told you about will be delayed with a few days. Unfortunately, the furnishing of my mansion isn't finished yet, so we will have to wait a few more days.¨ ¨What a bummer.¨ ¨Well, strangely enough, I am actually a bit glad that I have a few days more to prepare everything. There's still a lot to do. And I was also thinking about some entertainment on my party.¨

The Professor reacted interested. ¨What kind of entertainment were you thinking of? A stage magician?¨ ¨I was thinking more about some musical act. How about Toadette? She's quite a talented musician, right?¨ ¨I dunno. I never heard her playing, but I know that she has her own music room, much like that new ghost friend of you.¨ ¨You mean Melody?¨ ¨Yes. She used to be a virtuose pianist, right?¨ ¨Yes, Indeed. And she still is, I can tell you that.¨ ¨So, why not ask her if she wants to perform on you party?¨ ¨I'd like to, but I don't think she will do such a thing. After all, she is a ghost, and ghosts don't appreciate humans in their presence,

especially not when there are a lot of them.¨ ¨But you don't know for sure when you don't ask her.¨ ¨Yeah, that's right. Maybe I should.¨

In the meantime, Melody was floating through the corridors of the Mansion. Although it has been two days since she and her family were inhabiting the mansion yet again, Melody still wasn't fully used to it. And since she wasn't able to see any of her friends and family for a long time, she was eager to know how the others were doing. Especially the children of Neville and Lydia, whom she always has something of a close relationship with.

As she floated towards the west wing of the mansion, where Lydia was living with her husband and children, she heard the sound of billiard balls being shot coming from the Billiards Room, and it seemed that Mr. Luggs was also practising his favourite ¨hobby¨ again, judging from the sound that came from the Dining Room.

When Melody arrived in the hallway that leads to the Study, the bedrooms, and the Nursery, she wanted to visit Lydia first, but because she was closer to the Study, Melody decided to look if someone was in there. Usually this was Neville's favourite place: when he wasn't to be found in the Master Bedroom, there was an almost one hundred percent chance that he was here in the Study, as literature was his greatest passion.

Melody knocked on the door, and was a bit surprised that the voice answering was female. It must be Lydia. And indeed, as she entered she saw Lydia sitting at the desk. She was busy writing in a book. So much in fact , that it was only after she finished a page, she looked up and saw that it was Melody Pianissima. ¨Hey, look who we have there! if that isn't everyone's favourite musician, Melody! What brought you here, lady?¨

¨Well… uhm… nothing actually, I just wanted to have a talk with your husband. I thought he was here in the Study.¨ ¨He actually was here only a few minutes ago. He's now playing with the boys in their bedroom. But anyway, take a seat. Lydia made a friendly gesture towards the rocking chair Neville always uses when he's reading a book. As Melody sat down in the rocking chair, she was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable this chair was, especially to someone like her, who is used to sitting on a piano bench for most of the time. No wonder that Neville always sits here.

When Melody was about to talk, Lydia suddenly remembered the present she made for Melody. ¨Wait, Melly. Before we start talking, I will get you a little present. Just stay here, okay?¨ As Lydia left the Study, she saw Shivers floating around in the hallway. ¨Hey Shivers. Please do me a favour and get me the cookie tin from the kitchen, would you? You know where I hid it, right?¨ ¨Yes, ma'am.¨

In the meantime, Melody was staring at the fireplace, mesmerised by the flames and their calming sound. But not for very long; Lydia returned much quicker than Melody expected. As she looked up from the fireplace, she saw that Lydia had something in her hand. ¨You're back already?¨ ¨Yes, I just saw the butler in the hallway, so I gave him an order. By the way, don't you think he's acting a bit weird lately?¨ ¨I don't know. Hasn't he always been a bit of a strange-acting guy? Sometimes when I leave my Conservatory, I see him in the hallway, floating around as if he's thinking about something. And when we used to be alive, he sometimes even stood right behind the Conservatory's door, scaring me a bit when I left the room. It may be just coincidence, but one still has to wonder why a butler would regularly have to stay at the very same place for so long.¨ ¨I guess he just enjoys your music.¨ ¨Yes, I think you are right. It's probably just that. I remember how enthusiastic people could be when I taught them how to play the piano. Music can be quite literally, a magic thing.¨ ¨But anyway, what's my surprise?¨

¨Yesterday, to celebrate that we are finally back in our true home, I decided to bake cookies for everyone, and since I know how much you are dedicated to music, I made these for you.¨ Lydia opened the cookie tin and showed the cookies to Melody. ¨You made them in the form of musical notes? That's so nice of you! Wow, you even made one in the shape of a G-clef! This must have been a lot of work, right?¨ ¨Yes, it was. I'm glad you appreciate it so much.¨

While Lydia was putting the book she was writing in back in the bookshelf, Melody took a bite from one of the cookies. ¨ Tell me, how do they taste?¨ ¨Exactly the same as they look like: simply marvellous.¨ when melody finished the cookie she placed the rocking chair a bit closer to the desk. ¨Like I said, thank you very much for this. How did you know that I like this kind of chocolate so much?¨ ¨I don't want to brag about it, but Melly, I think I know you better than anyone else. Even better than that lonely poolshark Slim Bankshot, where you seem to occasionally hang out with.¨

Melody couldn't resist picking another cookie. Lydia sure had some terrific baking skills, but Melody wondered how she had these, since she was rarely to be seen in the kitchen. ¨But anyway, how is that what's-his-name-again?¨ ¨You mean Luigi? I must say, I don't know him very well. Back when I was alive I've played many of the video games he appears in. And to be honest, he's actually just like that in real-life too; a bit timid and insecure, but other than that a pretty nice guy. He may look down on his brother Mario, but I think he's just as good as him. I mean, if he wasn't, he couldn't have defeated that scoundrel of a King Boo, could he? You know what surprised me the most about him? When I first met him in real-life in my Conservatory during the reign of King Boo, he was visibly terrified of us. Understandable for someone who isn't used to see any ghosts other than boos. But when I met him again, two days ago, he seemed to have lost a lot of his initial fear for us.¨

¨Maybe that's because he realised that we aren't that different after all. You know, many times when people are scared of something it's just because they are not familiar with it. And once they get to know things better, they often come to realise that there is nothing to fear.¨ ¨That's what I was thinking, too.¨ ¨But he _does_ have a reason to fear King Boo. I'm glad he's history now.¨ ¨ What you say. That spectre has been a torment to good ghosts like us for far too long. But we shouldn't be too quick with saying that he's gone forever. You never know, he's a really powerful creature.¨

A short silence fell, and Melody decided to eat yet another cookie, the last one for today. ¨Lydia?¨ ¨Yes, Melody?¨ ¨I want to apologise for something. I realise that I haven't been the nicest person around for a long time, and that my behaviour used to be quite rude. I used to be so obsessed with practising my music that I considered anyone who disturbed me, or even just wanted to have a talk with me on why I behaved in such a manner to be a nuisance, even that one time it was you. This was a hard time for me, and the fact that I was struggling with my disease didn't help much either. If I only knew...¨

¨It's alright, Melly. I understand it wasn't an easy time for you and that you were under great stress. Just try to be nicer from now on.¨ ¨I promise.¨

¨Now if you don't mind, I have to go back to my bedroom. My hair really needs to be combed, I haven't done anything with it in hours.¨ ¨And I think I'll go back to my beloved piano. After not having been able to play for weeks I need to experience that feeling of the cold piano keys on my fingertips very badly.¨ Lydia floated to the Master Bedroom, and Melody to her Conservatory.

When she was in the Foyer, she heard someone knocking on the door. To her surprise it was Luigi, who decided to visit the ghosts, specifically Melody, to see how they were doing, and also to ask Melody for his housewarming party. ¨Hey, Luigi.¨ ¨Hello, Melody Pianissima.¨ ¨Ah, just call me Melody. Or Melly, as some do. There's no need for such pompous business when you're with friends.¨ To Luigi, this proved more than anything that they indeed were friends now.

¨Where did you came for?¨ ¨I just wanted know how you're doing. Have you and your family already returned to normal life?¨ ¨Thanks for asking, and yes, we have. Lydia - you know, that lady from the bedroom - even baked cookies to celebrate our return.¨ ¨That's a nice thing to hear.¨

¨Uhm, it's a bit cold outside, may I come in?¨ ¨Of course!¨ ¨See, this is how we live now. It's just as it used to be, the only real difference being that now we don't have to worry about King Boo or his annoying followers, we finally can live a truly carefree afterlife.¨ From habit, Melody went to the Conservatory, Luigi following her. When she was halfway there she suddenly resumed her story.

¨You know, those boos, they used to be an utter nuisance for ghosts like us. Luigi, you may have encountered many ghosts during your adventures, and you will undoubtedly face many more, but I can tell you this: compared with the boos that followed King Boo, the boos in those ghost houses and whatnot are really tame. Living souls probably think that all ghosts are all of the same kind and they can get along with one another just fine, but they couldn't be further from the truth. The boos that are loyal to King Boo are the worst thing a normal ghosts, like me and my family, can encounter. Save for King Boo himself, of course.

Luckily, they don't attack that often, but when they do… One time I was almost done with composing a brand new piece, when a few of them attacked our home. One of them snatched the candlestick out of the hands of Shivers, who was near my room at the moment, and then...¨ Melody still got angry when she thought about what happened next. ¨…they held my music sheets above the flames and set them on fire! I desperately tried to stop them of course, but they were too strong. All that remained of many hours of hard work was a small pile of ash and a few scorched shreds. They have done many other bad things, but this, this was the worst they have ever done to me! Melody had trouble holding back the anger that raised in her. Luigi wanted to ask her if she ever tried to recreate the music piece, but since he knew what trouble composers sometimes have with creating a new piece, and because he didn't want to upset Melody even more, he decided not to do so. However, there was still something that caught Luigi's interest:

¨Hey Melody, do I see that right? It looks as if there's something with your eyes. It's almost as if they have become… more human. Have you been aware of that? ¨Hmm, not really, but now that you say... I have once been told that when ghosts come into repeated or prolonged contact with a living human, it might be possible that they regain a bit of their human traits. Never actually believed it, but as it turns out, it's true indeed. But I won't ever be human again, I am very much aware of that. And to be honest, I don't think I want to. Everyone has his time, and once one runs out of that, you can't do anything but accept it.¨

Melody and Luigi arrived in the Conservatory. Melody saw how Luigi was curiously looking around. ¨Any changes since you've been here?¨ No, not that I can see,¨ Luigi answered while still looking around, specifically at the instruments. Luigi couldn't resist touching an instrument. ¨Ehm, Melody, would you mind if I...¨ ¨Of course not. Go ahead!¨ Luigi chose the harp.

As he touched one of its strings he was surprised by the beautiful tone. ¨Aren't they beautiful? All of these instruments belong to my parents, save for my trusty grand piano. But since my parents are rarely here, I sometimes play them.¨ What Melody just told Luigi, caught his interest. ¨My parents.¨ Where are they, he wondered. He had never seen them, and couldn't remember having met them during his quest to save his brother either. He considered asking Melody, but before he made his decision, Melody was already talking to him.

¨Oh Luigi. You can't imagine how glad I am that I can finally play the piano again. ¨You haven't played yet?¨ ¨Of course I have, but not that much. I was busy with getting my afterlife back on tracks, like everyone who lives here. But anyway, let's see. Melody sifted through a pile of sheet music that laid on the piano. ¨Here it is. Opus 94, the Toccata of the Plains. I haven't played that piece for a long time.¨ She put the sheet on the piano's music stand. Luigi looked at the music sheet.

He never could play the piano, nor read music notation, but judging from the many different notes and how they were placed on the note bar, it was going to be a really vivid piece. Melody sat down, pulled her hair behind her ears, stretched her fingers, and started playing. In no time the room was full of music. Luigi couldn't resist tapping his foot, but stopped when he realised it, since he didn't want to disturb Melody. After some two minutes of sharps, flats, and rests, Melody stopped playing and looked up to Luigi, who stood there, still humming the main melody of the piece.

¨Tell me Luigi, did I play well?¨ ¨Oh Yes!¨ ¨Ehm, I mean, yes, you did.¨ Melody gave him a warm smile. ¨Thanks, Luigi. I was a bit afraid that after weeks without playing, I would be out of practise, but luckily enough it seems that I don't have to worry about that.¨ Cheered up by this, Melody picked another sheet and started playing again. It was a rather calming piece.

As Luigi was listening to Melody's piano play, his thoughts strayed off to his housewarming party, which he's looking forward to. Should he really ask Melody? What if she said no? Or worse: What if she thought that Luigi only invited her so she could perform, and wasn't really her friend? Luigi set aside his concerns and when Melody was done playing, he asked her.

¨Melody, I have a question. I haven't told you before, but I have a new mansion. It has been completed, and there will be a housewarming party in a few days, and you are invited too. The others of your family also, by the way.¨ ¨Oh that's great! But I don't know if my family will come. They are after all still ghosts, and you probably know that many of us don't feel easy when there are living humans around. ¨That's no problem. They may come as they please. By the way, I have another question, but I don't know if I should ask.¨ ¨No problem. Just tell me.¨ ¨I would like to ask if you want to perform on my housewarming party. I was looking for some musical entertainment, and I thought you'd like to play one of your pieces.¨ ¨You mean, in front of a crowd, right?¨ ¨Uhm, yes. But it's not a large crowd, I promise.¨ ¨That sounds good! I haven't done a performance since uhm… since I'm a ghost, and maybe even longer. I can't wait!¨ A load was lifted off Luigi's mind.

The Professor was right. There was no need for such worries. ¨Please stay here. I will be right back.¨ Melody left the conservatory. Probably because she needed something, Luigi assumed. In the meantime, Luigi tried to play the harp. Melody was definitely right: this harp had a really beautiful sound. But sadly, without the magic of King Boo's possession, it couldn't play a melody at its own anymore, which was probably the only good thing King Boo was responsible for. Could King Boo also be a music lover, or wasn't he aware of the effect his presence has on musical instruments? Probably the latter, Luigi guessed.

¨Here I am.¨ Melody returned with a quill and a number of blank sheets. ¨Where are those for, if I may ask?¨ ¨Well, you wanted a performance, right? Then I'm going to make one for you.¨ ¨But Melody, when I asked if you'd like to perform, I didn't mean you had to compose an entirely new piece.¨ ¨Well, why not? When I used to be alive, I composed pieces for special occasions more than once. Don't worry, it doesn't take that much time. Melody played a while on the piano before she started writing down. She made a note bar and wrote some notes on it. ¨This will be the main melody of the piece. I had to keep it simple, but I think it will sound great anyway.¨ She played some more, but as she continued playing Luigi could see that she had some trouble with the composition.

¨This is a lot harder than I thought it would be.¨ After a few more minutes of troublesome playing, Melody wrote another line of notes on the music sheet. But as soon as she played again, she realised that it wasn't quite what she thought it to be. ¨No, this is all wrong,¨ she said in a frustrated manner, and crossed out the note bar she just wrote. ¨I think the chord progression should be changed. Yes, that will do the job.¨ Melody played some complicated chords on her piano, and for a moment, it seemed that everything was going well.

But that was not the case. ¨Maybe if I put it in another key.¨ She made some quick alterations to the sheet music. ¨Hmpf. No, that's not good at all. Now it sounds even worse!¨ Melody sighed and turned around on her piano bench, facing the wall on the opposite. ¨Sigh, his cannot be… How is this possible?¨ She looked up to Luigi, who didn't know what to say, but tried to cheer up his friend anyway.

¨Listen Melody. You don't have to compose a completely new piece for me. Just pick one you already composed and give it some practise.¨ ¨But I wanted to do this so badly. For you.¨ ¨That's really kind of you, but you don't have to go through this frustration if you don't want to.¨ But Melody just sat there, nervously stroking the barbs of the quill and too deep in thought to hear what Luigi told her. ¨Maybe I need to relax.¨ ¨Yes, that's a good idea. A little distraction would do great.¨ Melody left the Conservatory, and so did Luigi. He was curious where Melody was going to.

To his surprise she stopped in front of the opposite door. Luigi remembered this room. If he was correct, this was the Billiards Room, where Slim Bankshot played his never-ending solo match. Melody knocked on the door. ¨It's me, would you mind if I come in?¨ ¨Not at all.¨ Melody opened the door and greeted Slim Bankshot.

Luigi saw there were no balls flying through the room this time. Apparently the ghost now played another variant of pool. ¨Hey Slim, can I have a minute?¨ ¨Wait, I'm almost done.¨ Slim potted the last ball and laid his cue on the table. ¨I'm having a little struggle with my compositions. Can we play something of a friendly match? I'm in need of some distraction.¨ ¨Haha, you don't have to ask. I'm always in for a game of pool!¨ Slim only now saw that Luigi was present as well. ¨Hey, is that Luigi, that guy you've told us about?¨ ¨Yes, that's Luigi.¨ ¨Awesome! I've never played against a living soul. This is my chance!¨

¨Tell me, Luigi, are you a good pool player?¨ ¨Ehm, I don't know, sir. I've never played pool before.¨ ¨No problem. I can teach you. Are you in for it?¨ Well, uhm, yes. There's nothing wrong with trying something new, right?¨ ¨That's what I wanna hear! Pick a cue from the wall and come here.¨ Melody wanted to play too, but she decided to just leave Luigi and Slim playing their game. ¨Okay 6-Ball, pay attention please. First, hold the cue with your dominant hand, and let your other hand rest on the table with your fingers around the tip, but not too firmly, so you can aim the cue. ¨Like this?¨ ¨Exactly.

Now you need to make a breakshot by shooting the cue ball - that's the white one - against that pyramid of balls on the other end of the table. Luigi tried to shoot the cue ball, but to his amazement the cue went straight through the ball, as if it wasn't there. ¨Oh, wait. I forgot that human players can't use these balls. I'll get you a set of regular ones.¨ ¨Here, that oughta do it. Luigi tried again. ¨I see you potted a solid, which means that you have to play with solids from now on.

Slim Bankshot and Luigi were both so focussed on the game that they didn't notice that Melody had left the room. ¨As you can see, there's only one coloured ball left on the table. If you're lucky, you can pot it, and the 8-ball directly after it. Try a little effect.¨ ¨Luigi followed Slim's instructions, but it didn't work. ¨Not bad for a beginner, though¨ ¨Thanks.¨ ¨Thank you too. Now I can proudly say that I played against living people, a great achievement for a ghost like me.¨

Luigi turned around, but he couldn't see Melody. ¨That's strange. Do you know where Melody is?¨ ¨No.¨ ¨Well, then I'm going to look where she is. Maybe she already has her inspiration back.¨ ¨Inspiration?¨ ¨Long story.¨ Luigi went back to the Conservatory, but when he knocked the door there was no response. He decided to inspect the other rooms around the Conservatory as well, but she wasn't there either. Luigi came across Shivers, who was in the hallway as usual. ¨Sir, do you know where Melody is?¨ ¨M- Melody? You mean Melody Pianissima?¨ ¨Uhm, yes?¨ ¨I saw her going to the main floor. That's all I know.¨ ¨Thanks.¨ Luigi searched a few more rooms, until he finally found her.

She was outside, in the Graveyard. ¨Melody? What are y-¨ Luigi saw that there was something wrong with Melody. She was looking at something, but he couldn't see what. As he got closer, he saw that she was staring at a gravestone. Melody saw Luigi, but didn't pay any attention to him. Luigi wondered why she was staring at this gravestone, but when he read the inscription he was shocked a bit. The text read simply _Melody Pianissima_ , surrounded by what upon closer inspection appeared to be a piano keyboard pattern, although heavily eroded over the years.

Luigi was quite shaken by this. When he was in the Graveyard during his adventure, Luigi thought the graves were simply made up by the Boos. But they were not. These were real graves of real people. Luigi felt a bit guilty when he realised that he unwittingly walked over someone's grave. Still staring at her gravestone, Melody suddenly asked Luigi: ¨Do you think I will ever get my inspiration back?¨ ¨Of course you will. Everything will be all right. Just be patient. And besides, just remember that you don't have to do this if you don't want to. If all this puts you in too much stress, then why not use one of your older pieces. You have composed so much amazing music in your life. I'm sure there's something only few people will remember. Why not use that? And it may be a bit of a bold thing to say, but many people say that you are really good-looking, so some people will already appreciate anything you play.

Luigi tried to bring it as a joke of sorts to cheer up Melody, but she was still the same. ¨You don't have to say that.¨ Luigi felt sorry for what he just said. He wanted to make Melody a little happier, but now he said something he could better not have said. ¨I know that all too well.¨ an inconvenient silence fell. ¨Nowadays I feel proud of my nickname _The spectral beauty of the ivory keys,_ you know. But when I was alive, I wasn't too happy about my good looks. Sometimes it felt as if people were more fond of my looks than what actually mattered: my music. Deep in my heart I've always known that this wasn't true, and that there were still plenty of people who genuinely appreciated my music, but it still had a large impact on my self-esteem at times. That is also one of the reasons, besides my illness, that I didn't longer want to perform in public.

But now I'm actually looking forward to it. If I can finish the composition in time, that is.¨ ¨Don't you worry. It will be fine.¨ Melody smiled a bit and finally turned to Luigi. ¨Yes, I think you're right. I just need to unwind. Some distraction would do great.¨ ¨It sure will.¨ ¨In fact, I think I'm going to start right now.¨ ¨That's the spirit.¨ ¨I will read some books from the Study, play a game of pool with Slim, and maybe I can even help Lydia with whatever she is going to bake next.¨ ¨Well then, if you don't mind I will go back to the Professor's lab. It's already pretty late, and I still have to do some things for the party.¨ ¨That's all right. You can can come back tomorrow if you want to.¨

Back at the lab, the first thing the Professor asked was if Luigi asked Melody for her performance. ¨Yes, I asked her, and she said yes. But there's still one thing: she suffers from a severe lack of inspiration at the moment. I told her that she doesn't have to compose a brand new piece, but was was so eager to do this for me. Of course, I tried to cheer her up and told her that distraction and relaxation are probably the best remedies. I promised to go back to her tomorrow.¨ ¨That's a nice thing to do for someone who needs it.¨ Luigi yawned. ¨Sorry Professor. I would like to continue talking, but I'm really tired now. I think I will come back tomorrow, after visiting Melody.¨ ¨Goodbye!¨ ¨Till tomorrow, Professor.¨

The next day, Luigi rose early. He prepared himself for the long walk to the his mansion, where he will put the finishing touch on the party preparations. When he was finally done, he picked the map to the ghost's mansion and left his own. Although the sun shone brightly this morning, Boo Woods was just as dark as always. when he was finally there, he saw to his surprise that the front door was open. He walked inside, and when he was in the Foyer he saw Shivers the butler floating around with the tin of cookies Lydia made for Melody. ¨Sir, can you bring me to the Conservatory, please?¨ ¨Sure. Follow me.¨ Shivers floated really fast, Luigi had trouble following him. ¨Sir, can you slow down a bit, please?¨ ¨Oh, sorry. I'm a bit overexcited, that's all.¨ ¨Overexcited for what?¨ ¨Well… uhm… nothing actually¨ When Luigi turned the corner he remembered the rest. ¨Thanks sir.¨ The door of the Conservatory was ajar, but there was no sound. Luigi knocked the door, but as he already expected there was no response either. Then he heard the familiar sound of clacking billiard balls coming from the Billiards Room and also heard Melody talking to Slim.

He went inside and saw Melody and Slim playing together. ¨Hey, Luigi! Already back?¨ ¨Why not? I just finished the preparations for the party, and now I'm here, as promised.¨ Slim shot a ball straight into a pocket while he talked to Luigi. ¨I have a feeling your advice sure helped my friend. Just some few hours ago she went back to her room for the first time since you left yesterday, and I heard some of the best music I've ever heard, I can tell you that.¨ ¨That's right. I've been here playing with slim, read a good book in the Study, babysitted Chauncey together with his father, played a lot of video games, and even had a chat with Nana, who even pulled a prank on me with one of her yarn balls. All in all, I had such fun. For a while, even forgot about the compositions I promised to make for you, but Slim was kind enough to remind me, and when I returned I immediately continued.

I'm almost done, but even with all this distraction I still can't finish the piece in time, I'm afraid.¨ ¨Maybe I can help out.¨ ¨How?¨ ¨Have you ever had something like this before?¨ ¨Yes, more than once, even. But not as bad as I have now.¨ ¨And what did you do when relaxing and trying to catch no stress didn't work?¨ ¨I don't know. It never got that bad.¨ ¨Hmmm, this will be a lot tougher than I thought, but I think I have something that will work for now. If you don't mind, please follow me.¨ Luigi walked back to the Conservatory, with Melody following him this time around.

As he entered, Luigi saw the music sheets lying atop the grand piano. It looks like Melody indeed made significant progress, but he also saw that the sheet on top was only written on for one third. ¨See, this is what I've made so far. It's not that much, but at least it's better than nothing, right? Your advice worked out well for me, and my music. But even then, I still had a lot of trouble with trying to finish the piece. I tried to hold on to the same style throughout the entire piece, but for the finale, I need something different, and I think that despite I feel much better now, I'm still not ready yet. Sorry, Luigi. I don't think I will ever be able to finish this in time. I'm so sorry I didn't keep my promise. Can you please forgive me?¨

¨But Melody, I'm sure you can finish this. Just do the following: sit down on your piano bench and close your eyes.¨ ¨Not sure how this is going to work, but I will try...¨ ¨Now, place your fingers on the keys.¨ ¨Like this?¨ Despite ghosts having no body temperature other than that of their surroundings, the piano keys still felt cold to Melody's fingertips. ¨Now, take a deep breath.¨ She did. ¨Now, try to play something. It doesn't matter what, as long as it suits the rest of the piece.¨ Melody played for a while. ¨Hey, I think I know what you are trying to tell me: If I need inspiration, relaxing is a good idea, but I shouldn't do that too much, or else I can't get back my concentration back when I need to. ¨Uhm, that was not what I thought it to be, but as I already thought, it helps indeed.¨ ¨ If this wasn't what you meant, then what was?¨ ¨I thought that if you felt more connected with the keyboard you would also feel more connection to what you _play_ on it.¨ ¨Hey, you're right. I was playing and writing, writing and playing, but because I did it too much I basically forgot that a good feeling to put into your music is also really important. I suppose I was stressing myself out, causing my mind to become all dull and blunt. I've had that experience before, but never thought much about it in that way. But anyway, I will finish that composition for you. Right here, right now. I just know I can do this.¨

Melody began playing and writing, Luigi curiously but silently watching Melody doing her work. This time, she didn't cross anything out, with the exception for one or maybe two off-key notes. Although Melody didn't say a word either, it wasn't hard to see that she really enjoyed doing this. About half an hour later, she was finished and showed Luigi the results of her effort. ¨That's a lot of paper, but ehm… I can't read notes, so… would you play it?¨ ¨Of course! I have been waiting for this moment for far too long now, so let's do this!¨ Melody placed the sheets one by one on the music stand. Even with such a wide stand, she still needed to make the sheets slightly overlap each other to fit them all on the stand. Melody took a deep breath and laid her fingers on the keyboard.

She began playing, a bit insecure at first, but in no time she played with the dedication and passion she's always been known for. Without stopping even once, she played the entire piece. Luigi stood next to her and listened carefully. Just like before, he simply couldn't resist shaking his body, but he tried not to since he didn't want to embarass himself in front of Melody. Not that she was looking though. Melody had her eyes focussed on the sheet music to make sure that she didn't misread anything. Halfway through the piece, the music unexpectedly became more soft and calm, perhaps even bordering on the emotional side, but Luigi didn't mind and thought that it made the piece even better. The piece lasted for some ten minutes, during which Luigi heard all different sorts of musical genres and he recognised most of the themes from the games that were made from his adventures with Mario.

Upon playing the last chord, Melody looked at Luigi with a curious expression. ¨So, what do you think of it?¨ ¨It's...¨ Luigi had no words to describe it. He could say that it was beautiful, or that it was really good, but that would be an understatement. ¨Do you think it isn't...¨ Melody asked with a worried voice.¨ ¨No no, not at all. It is...¨ Luigi decided to say perfect, because that's probably the most fitting word he could come up with. ¨It is perfect.¨ ¨Thank you very much. I'm glad you like it.¨ ¨Thank you too, for making this for me. May I ask you something? Why is there such an emotional part halfway through? Not that I don't like it, i'm just asking.¨ ¨Oh that. I don't know either. I thought some contrast would make it more interesting to listen to. Or maybe it's because of my breakdown, and I unintentionally reflected this on my music, something that happens all the time, but mostly in a positive way, unlike now. Anyway, I think it's good as it is now. I only need some more practise to make sure I can play it perfectly. I used to perform most of my music without music sheets to guide me without any trouble, but since I haven't been able to play for a long time I don't know if I still can, so I think it's better to practise some more.

When again was your housewarming party?¨ ¨Tomorrow at 6 o'clock. You can come earlier if you want to do some preparations.¨ ¨I don't think that's necessary, but what about the piano?¨ ¨Don't worry. I already have ordered one for you. Or do you want to play this one?¨ ¨No, it's okay. Oh, one more thing: what should I wear? Nothing special. It's not a very formal party, you know. And besides, I think you already look fancy enough.¨ ¨All right, then. I will practise the piece as much as I can, so you can be sure that it will be exactly as you wanted to. After all, as your friend, I feel obliged to make sure you and your other friends will enjoy it.¨ ¨Well, then I won't bother you any longer. Till tomorrow!¨

The next day at around 5:40 PM, Luigi heard the doorbell ringing. At first he thought it was Mario, who usually was on the early side, but to his surprise it was Melody, who decided to arrive a bit earlier. ¨Hey Melody, there you are! Come in, you're the first guest to arrive.¨ Melody was wearing stylish earrings and a necklace of a G-clef in gold with silver trimming. ¨Nice necklace you have there.¨ ¨Thank you. This necklace was a gift from my parents. I haven't worn it for a long time, but I thought this was an excellent occasion to wear it.¨

Luigi guided Melody to the living room of his newly built mansion. ¨Wow, this house looks great! I love how casually yet stylish your design is. You used a lot of the colour green, but that doesn't surprise me, haha. This modern design gives a very calming atmosphere to your room, though I and most other ghosts, are more fond of old-fashioned designs since they reflect our lifestyles better.¨ ¨I had a hard time with the furnishing, but I'm glad of how it looks now. What do you think of that chandelier? It's made with real gemstones from King Boo's loot left behind in his fake mansion.¨ ¨Marvellous! Wario would be jealous. Wait, you didn't invite him, did you?¨ ¨No, but he may show up. Or not. I think it depends on how much cake and pie we have. Do you want him to come? Maybe, I have played some of his games and I have never met him in person. But maybe it's better not.¨

¨Hey, where is your family? Did they forget they were invited too?¨ ¨No, they had no interest. Like I said, many of them prefer to stay away from humans, like how most living souls stay away from us. They aren't used to interacting with living people, and prefer to stay at home where they do what they love the most. Please don't take it too personally.¨ The doorbell rang again. Luigi opened the door, and saw Professor E. Gadd. He was wearing a nice suit and had a present in his hands. ¨Hey, Professor! Thank you for coming, sir. Nice suit you're wearing.¨ ¨Well I couldn't come to a party in my lab coat, could I?¨ ¨Is Mario already here?¨ ¨No, he isn't. I think he will be here soon.¨ ¨Hey, I see miss Pianissima has arrived too.¨ ¨Yes, she is here for to provide us with a very special musical performance, remember?¨ ¨As if I could ever forget that, haha! I might be old and a bit absent-minded, but I won't ever forget something that important. I have been looking forward to this ever since you told me about it.¨ Luigi curiously looked at the present the Professor had for him.

¨What's that in your hands, Professor?¨ ¨A present. You can unwrap it now, if you want to.¨ ¨Maybe, but I think I will wait until later.¨ ¨Take a seat, Professor. Do you want something to drink? Coffee? Soft drink? Or something else?¨ ¨Thanks, but I'm more hungry now. Do you have something to eat?¨ ¨Of course. I will give you a piece of this lovely apple pie, or do you want some cake already?¨ No, the apple pie is okay.¨ ¨And you, Melody. Don't you want anything to eat or drink?¨ ¨Not now, but thanks for the offer.¨ ¨Not hungry?¨ ¨No, not really. I'm a ghosts, remember. We don't feel hungry. We only eat when we feel feel like it, we don't need to. But we still can get fat and unhealthy when we eat too much. Just ask mr. Luggs.¨

Luigi looked at the clock. The other guests could arrive any moment now. And he was right: Five minutes later he heard a voice that was familiar to both Melody and Luigi, but the Professor didn't recognise at once, though he heard it before. ¨Hey, Luigi! My brother, how are you?¨ ¨Hey, Mario. Thanks for coming.¨ Mario went inside and looked around. At first at the stylish and luxurious decorations of Luigi's mansion, but then at the guests. He was about to speak to the Professor, but when he saw Melody, he got scared a bit. Luigi saw this, and explained to him that she's here for a special surprise he wanted to give to his guests, and that he shouldn't be afraid. Melody was very excited when she saw her favourite video game hero standing right in front of her.

¨Mario, is that you? My hero, in the flesh, right in front of me. I can't believe it!¨ When Mario saw how happy Melody was to see him, he lost his fears and started talking with her. ¨Yes, It's-a me, Mario!¨ ¨Haha, I love it when you do that! Mario, I want you to know that I'm an absolute number one fan of you and your games.¨ ¨Thanks, lady.¨ ¨My name is Melody Pianissima, sir. My friends and family sometimes call me Melly, but you can call me your biggest fan, or whatever you like. It would be a great honour if you did.¨ ¨Melody… Hmmm, I think I've heard of you, a long time ago. Weren't you the one who made all sorts of piano music based on video games?¨ ¨Yes, that's right. I also composed a lot of other pieces on my own, and used to be a music teacher. It's nice to see that people still remember me.¨ Melody visibly brightened up, also in a literal manner; her glow lit the walls of the room, as if a sunset shone on them. ¨I may not be alive anymore, but my music sure is.¨

¨So, miss Pianissima, what brought you to this party?¨ ¨Luigi invited me, and the others of our kind as well, though they refused to come. It's really nice of him. He's a friend of mine now, and he even asked me for a p- Oh, that's right. I can't say that yet, it's supposed to be a surprise.¨ That had Mario wondering what in the world that surprise could be. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. Mario was about to open the door, but his brother was faster. ¨Whoa! Look at that! Aren't you looking great today!¨ It was Princess Daisy, who decided to come, despite not having received an invitation. Luigi accidentally forgot it because he was so busy with everything. ¨Am I late?¨ ¨No, not at all, the party just started.¨ ¨I brought you some flowers. I hope you like them.¨ ¨Of course I like them.¨ ¨Here, come in. I will fetch a nice vase to put these flowers in. Do you want something to eat or drink?¨ ¨No, thanks. I'm not hungry.¨

Luigi left the room to look for a vase. He was sure that he had put one in the storage room just the other day, a leftover from the other vases that he had standing on the sill in his bedroom. Luigi liked flowers and plants in general, but he didn't show it off to everyone. Eventually, after looking for a while, Luigi found what he was looking for. The vase was the smallest of what used to be a set of three copies, but it was still large enough for the bouquet Daisy gave him. The design of the vase fitted that of the rest of his house, but also reminded him of Jarvis' vases. When Luigi looked around, he was satisfied that his party was a success. His house was decorated, all cakes were delivered in time, and most importantly: all of the people that he invited were there. Well, except one: Luigi had sent a letter to Princess Peach, but sadly she's abroad with her Toads accompanying her, and can't come back to her kingdom in time for Luigi's party. However, she promised him that as soon as she returns, she will visit Luigi in his Mansion.

About an hour later, as Luigi saw that everyone was enjoying the food and dinks and was chatting with each other, he decided that the time was there to treat his guests with the surprise his promised them. Melody was sitting down on a chair in one of the corners of the living room. She was a bit bored, but when Luigi approached her to ask if she was ready, Melody said ¨Should I begin?¨ before Luigi even spoke to her. For Luigi, it was nice to see that she was so eager to perform and entertain the guests. And Melody was really glad that she could play for an actual, living audience once again, something she didn't expect to happen ever again. ¨The piano is in a special room. Here, follow me.¨

On the first floor of Luigi's Mansion there was a large room. In the centre of the room stood a large, brand new grand piano. Around it, Luigi had placed chairs. ¨This is the piano I installed for you to play on. ¨Wow, this one is a true beauty! Can I try it out now?¨ ¨Go ahead.¨ Melody lifted the lid from the keyboard and was pleased by the smell of the brand new keys. They were of the brightest white and darkest black imaginable, unlike Melody's own piano whose keys have significantly been worn down by the millions of notes played on them, although the piano itself still looked fairly decent. Melody placed the sheets of her composition on the stand, but played some random bits of music pieces instead to test the piano's quality. ¨Good work, Luigi.¨ ¨What do you mean, Melody?¨ ¨This piano. That's what I mean. It's exactly how a piano should be, and you made sure it has been tuned perfectly. And that warm, full sound…¨ ¨It was the least I could do for a friend, right. You deserve this. Now practise some more, or if you think you're ready, let me know, okay?¨ ¨I think I am.¨ ¨Okay, then I'm going to unveil the surprise to my guests. I can't wait to see what they will think of it.¨ ¨They would be pretty impressed.¨ ¨I bet they will.¨

Having said that, Luigi walked back downstairs to the party and announced his surprise to everyone: ¨Dear guests, please listen.¨ Everybody looked at Luigi, surprised and not knowing what to expect. Daisy even got a bit worried for a moment. ¨As I promised you, I have a surprise for all of you. A very special one, from a very special guest. Her name is Melody Pianissima, and she will give a performance of a piano piece that she composed for me. I invite all of you to listen to it. I'm sure you will enjoy it. Follow me, please.¨

Luigi and his guests walked to the music room. He told his guests to take place and walked to Melody, who was almost done with putting the music sheets on the stand in the correct order. ¨May I begin?¨ ¨If you think you're ready, go ahead.¨ ¨I'm a bit nervous. I'm just not used to all of this anymore.¨

The professor was looking at Luigi and Melody discussing something he couldn't hear. He looked at Mario, who was also wondering what was going on. He still wasn't used to being near a ghost, and though he fully thrusted Melody, he still wondered if she wasn't just here to show off her piano skills to fool herself into thinking she's still famous. But Mario realised that this was ridiculous. There is absolutely no reason why someone who is a genuine admirer of the Mario brothers would do such a thing.

¨If you really don't want to do this...¨ Luigi tried to ease Melody's mind, but Melody had already enough confidence of her own. ¨No, I will do this and I promise to you, my audience, and myself that this will be the best performance I've ever done. I'm ready for this.¨ Luigi turned himself to the audience, and asked them to be quiet. ¨Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the famous musician and master of the piano, miss Melody Pianissima!¨ Melody made a graceful gesture to the audience. She pushed her long hair behind her ears and gently laid her fingers on the keyboard. She then began to play. Unlike the times she played with Luigi next to her, she didn't show the slightest sign of hesitation this time, and was only looking at the music sheets during some of the more difficult parts, which indicated that she practised a lot and remembered the piece very well.

Everyone, including Melody herself enjoyed the music and nobody didn't want to miss even a single note. The piece lasted slightly longer than Luigi and Melody expected, due to Melody in all her enthusiasm playing some extra improvisation in the form of some really creative variations upon the already existing themes. But nobody was bothered that things didn't go as expected. In fact, this improvisation fitted so well into the piece that Luigi initially didn't even recognise it as such. From the music straight out of the darkest caverns to the merry melodies of the platforms high in the skies, each part was charming in its own unique way, and the vast variations in styles and genres alone made this masterpiece a treat for the ears of any listener. Twelve minutes. Twelve full minutes lasted the entire performance. A giant string of notes that filled this music room almost non-stop. It was incredible.

Of the listeners, the Professor was probably the most impressed, which was somewhat surprisingly since he already knew Melody and the fact that she was a very skilled pianist, and still is, as he came to know now. Luigi was also very impressed, of course. Even though he knew that it would be absolutely awesome, this was beyond any of his expectations. Mario and Daisy were also stunned to silence. It wasn't until a while after Melody played the final notes that they uttered some words. And for Melody herself, she was pleasantly surprised. Not only by her piano skills, which were still as excellent as she thought them to be, but also by how her composition turned out to be. Melody stood up from the piano bench, and made a gentle bow to the audience. Everyone gave a standing ovation. The applause lasted for nearly half a minute, the Professor continuing the longest. Melody shone in a warm glow and had an equally warm smile on her face when she saw what stunning applause she was given by her audience, and Luigi. Melody calmly floated to Luigi and couldn't help but utter a small giggle out of sheer happiness.

¨Oh Luigi! You can't imagine how glad I am! Everything went exactly how wanted it to be, and even better.¨ ¨I saw it. And I heard it too, haha.¨ Even Luigi couldn't resist a relieving laugh. ¨Ahem, if I may interrupt you...¨ It was the Professor, who wanted to give Melody his appreciation for this extraordinary performance. ¨I want you to know that I sincerely enjoyed your fabulous musical performance, miss Pianissima.¨ ¨Thank you very much, Professor Gadd.¨ Behind the Professor was Mario, who also wanted to thank Melody. ¨Melody Pianissima,¨ Mario took his cap off. ¨I have been amazed by your outstanding piano music and would like to thank you for doing this for my brother. I think it's safe to say that I'm a fan of you now.¨ ¨Thanks, Mario.¨ Melody went to Luigi again. ¨I'm so happy now. Seriously, I haven't felt so happy in ages. And so inspired, too. I will be composing music pieces yet again, and this time without all the agonising frustrations to come up with something and not even knowing if it's good enough for what you're making. Those days are thankfully over now. Your counsel proved to be an effective remedy, and now I know what to do if such a thing will ever happen again.

But anyway, what should we do now? Is the party over now?¨ ¨No, not at all. There's still plenty of cake left, and party spirit too, isn't it?¨ ¨That's great. I still wanted to chat with Mario, and ask him everything about how it feels to be a video game hero. I won't be bored, that's for sure!¨ ¨He likes it when someone shows admiration for what he does. Maybe I will join too. If the two of you don't mind, that is.¨ ¨Well I won't.¨

And so, Mario, Luigi, and Melody sat together, telling Melody about all the adventures they've had, and how they were made into video games. Needless to say, Melody was extremely fascinated when Mario told her about how music for video games is being made. They also talked about Princess Peach, Bowser, and numerous others, though Mario and Luigi decided not to bring up King Boo, as they didn't want Melody to be reminded of this evil creature. The other guests were having conservations as well.

After nearly an hour talking about all things video game, Melody wanted to go back home to spend time with her friends and family, telling them about the party and her performance. But she also wanted to make some more new music now she finally had her inspiration back. ¨Luigi?¨ This part is really great, but I think i will go back home.¨ ¨Are you sure you don't want to stay a little longer?¨ ¨Miss Melody,¨ the Professor suddenly reacted ¨Before you go, you should see what present I had for Luigi. I'm sure you'll like it too. ¨ The Professor fetched the present and handed it out to Luigi. ¨Here, my boy. This is for you.¨ Melody moved a little closer. Luigi unwrapped the present, and looked surprised. He lifted a little device out of the box. It looked like a speaker from a sound system, but almost entirely spherical and without any holes.

Melody and the other guests reacted surprised as well. ¨Uhm, thanks Professor, but what is it?¨ ¨This, sonny, is an Acoustics Improver. ¨A what?¨ ¨Yes, I haven't been able to come up with a better name yet, this is only the prototype. But it sure does work.¨ ¨Then, what does it do exactly, and how does it work?¨ ¨It's an acoustical system that generates polyfrequent sinusoidal subaudible pressure waves which resonate with the harmonics in music, creating an overall improvement in the perception and experience of any musical sound, live or recorded. ¨Uhm, what?¨ Luigi quickly looked at Melody. ¨Believe me, I don't get this either.¨ ¨Here, allow me to demonstrate it.¨ The Professor asked Luigi to make a sound. Luigi chose to whistle a very familiar tune. ¨Hey, I know that tune! I used to play this as an etude all the time. If I'm correctly, it was even used in a video game, though I may be wrong on that.¨

¨As you can hear, it does sound normal now. Nothing special. But when I turn on this device, you will be astonished by how much better it will sound.¨ The Professor turned on the device and placed in the middle of the table. ¨Now whistle that same tune again, sonny.¨ Luigi did what the Professor told him, and he was astonished by the result. Every note sounded much clearer and more beautiful. ¨Marvellous!¨ Melody commented. ¨It sounds as if Luigi is standing directly next to me, even though he's actually four metres away. This is such a great invention, mr. Gadd.¨ ¨Thanks Melody, but I don't know if I will be able to get this thing patented. Anyway, I hope you and Luigi really like it.¨ ¨ _Me_ and Luigi?¨ ¨Yes, why not? Aren't you best friends now? I made this thing for Luigi, but when I realised how much you are a friend of him, and how much it can help you during performances, I thought you would like it a lot, too.¨ ¨I do, but I care more about Luigi than about my music.¨ Both Luigi and the Professor looked at Melody with en expression of astonishment as well as friendlyness.¨ ¨Whew... I never thought I would ever say such a thing to a living man.¨

¨Are you sure you don't want to use it every now and then?¨ ¨No, really. I think my music is just fine so keep it for yourself. You deserved it.¨ Melody looked at the clock. ¨Luigi, Professor Gadd, everyone else, it was a great evening and I really enjoyed the party, but I think it's time for me to go back home. Goodbye!¨ ¨Goodbye, Melody!¨ She left the mansion quietly. ¨Wow, she has changed a lot, hasn't she?¨ Luigi said to the Professor. ¨I don't know her half as well as you do, but I think you're right.¨ ¨It looks like having someone who really believes in you can indeed make you do wonderful things.¨ ¨What do you mean?¨ ¨Well sonny, without you, Melody would still have been stuck in a severe lack of inspiration and would never have had the power to complete that music piece for you, leave alone performing it. Your friendship with her has changed her a lot, more than both of you realised. If you've ever thought about that.¨ ¨To be honest I haven't, but I know what you're trying to tell me, Professor. And now that I think about it, it's nice to see how this is true indeed.¨

¨Uhm, Luigi? Something different: I don't want to ruin the fun, but I thinks it's about time for me to go back to the lab. I still have to work on some new inventions, and I besides that, I have to sleep too.¨ ¨No problem. You can go whenever you want. I would like to thank you for coming, and for your gift.¨ ¨I knew you'd like it, haha.¨ ¨Bye Bye, everyone!¨ ¨Cheers!¨

Not long after that, the other guests left too. Before leaving, Mario asked Luigi if he wanted to sleep here tonight, or with Mario in their regular home. ¨I think I will stay here tonight. Me, in this house, enjoying living in my very own home… I have been looking forward to this for a long time, and now the moment is finally there.¨ ¨Enjoy your mansion as much as you want, my brother. You more than deserved it. But you will still live with me in our own house, right?¨ ¨Of course Mario! A large luxury home is great, but nothing is better than being with my one and only brother.¨

That night, Luigi for the first time slept in his magnificent brand new mansion all by himself, and as he expected, he did enjoy it a lot. Before he went to bed, Luigi walked through the mansion one more time. After that, he laid his cap on his night closet, crawled underneath the green and white sheets, and finally closed his eyes. That night, Luigi had the most wondrous dream he has ever had: It included the Professor, the ghosts, his mansion, Mario, and of course Melody and her heavenly music. Suddenly, Luigi awoke from a strange sound he heard. Was it… a ghost? Not that couldn't be. He looked around his bedroom, but there was nothing out of the ordinary to be seen, so Luigi soon continued sleeping.

The end.


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